1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to electronic devices, and more specifically to monitoring the integrity of interconnects of electronic devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices can be constructed from elements such as an integrated circuit die mounted on a package substrate that is in turn mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). Signals of such an electronic device can be communicated between the integrated circuit die, the package substrate, and the printed circuit board by input/output (I/O) interconnects, where the I/O interconnects can be made from conductive materials such as solder. During operation of the electronic device, the elements of the device can be subjected to repeated thermal cycles comprising heating and cooling. Materials used in the construction of the electronic device can expand in response to heating and contract in response to cooling. Different materials can expand and contract by different amounts for a given temperature change, creating stress at interconnects that are connected to different materials. Repeated stress caused by thermal cycles, or other causes, can cause interconnect elements to develop physical flaws, especially those interconnect elements that connect various elements of the electronic device to each other. For example, an I/O interconnect between package substrate and a PCB can develop cracks that degrade performance of the interconnect, and ultimately cause the element to fail, which in turn can cause the electronic device to fail.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.